Beware the Claws that Catch
by chasing-anteros
Summary: Caught under the thumb of Amanda Waller, Selina Kyle is brought out of retirement to help out with Task Force X. As the former Catwoman takes up her mantle again she comes face to face with the clown King and Queen that ruined her. Maybe with the help of a certain Aussie she can find herself again... Boomerang/Catwoman [Currently on Hiatus]
1. I Centuries

**A/N: Hello! So, welcome to my new fic! It's been quite a while since I've done any writing so whilst I'm feeling a bit rusty (and nervous) I'm also really excited to share this story with you all. When I try to write something for a fandom I often find (and hope) that I'm filling a niche that hasn't been done. I feel I mostly write this for myself to fill said niche, but if you all like it too than that's a win! So, I'll stop rambling and let you all indulge in the first chapter of my Boomerang/Catwoman fic! Hope you all enjoy it! :)**

 **Disclaimer: DC owns any recognisable characters, concepts, locations etc - I'm merely using them in my crazy sandbox! Anything unrecognisable likely belongs to yours truly.**

 **Beware The Claws That Catch**

 **Chapter I - Centuries**

 **" _Some legends are told / Some turn to dust or to gold / But you will remember me / Remember me for centuries / And just one mistake / Is all it will take / We'll go down in history / Remember me for centuries._ " - Fall Out Boy **

**-x-**

The loud crashing sound had the brunette woman stumble as she stepped out of the shower. Feet not properly purchasing a grip on the slippery tiles, she frantically grabbed at the lip of the sink to her right to regain her balance. Panting, she hurriedly got to her feet and rummaged around in the mirror that served as a bathroom cabinet and took the 9mm handgun from its safe place next to her purple toothbrush. Turning the safety off, the brunette opened the door and rushed (somehow keeping her sliding around to a minimum) down the hallway of her apartment, one hand holding her fluffy white towel up whilst the other steadily aimed the gun.

"Rufus!" Selina Kyle sighed, rolling her periwinkle coloured eyes, lowering the gun. "I've told you about this!"

The fluffy persian cat blinked up at the woman, eyes smiling, as he lapped at the puddle of milk that was on the wooden floor. His small pink tongue flicked in and out around the shards of glass and the brunette clicked the safety back on her gun before throwing it onto one of the sofas and beginning to sweep up the shards of glass using a dustpan. Once the mess was cleaned up, Selina proceeded to pet the persian and shepherd him towards his food bowl. Her next step for preparing for the day was to have a cup of tea - milky, two sugars.

However, before she could enjoy her drink her phone came to life from its charging point next to her laptop which had been left on the coffee table that night. As the beginning of The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army sounded, a photo of a familiar friend appeared on the screen. At first, the woman's first instinct was to ignore it… and yet her better judgement she accepted the call.

"And what can I do for you, Mr Rick, I haven't spoken to you for three months, Flag?"

A quick chuckle sounded from the other end of the call. "Hey Selina," Rick Flag responded, sounding far too impressed with himself.

"Seriously Rick, what do you want? I'm kind of busy right now," the brunette grumbled, sipping her tea and beginning to pad back to her bedroom. "I've got a meeting I need to attend, I'm at work right now."

"Oh really?" Rick asked, tone now sounding more pissed off than amused. "How comes I can hear your voice from where I am outside of your apartment and I could hear you getting mad at Rufus?"

She paused, hand gripping the edge of the white towel nervously. She tried her best to sound shocked. "What? No. I'm at work. You must've just imagined my voice because you miss me."

Stalling, Selina bit her lip, naively thinking she'd thrown him off. "Come and answer the door."

"Right, on my way."

Within thirty seconds, the apartment door was open and Selina's wide smile quickly fell. As promised, there stood one Rick Flag, one of her oldest friends. The soldier stood proudly, a slight (seemingly apologetic) smile on his face. The pair had met in high school and had kept in contact since, though at times it was tough and telling what with Rick being shipped off on duty and Selina pursuing other… opportunities. Behind her friend, stood a dark skinned woman with five other men in suits and sunglasses. This hadn't been what she was expecting when she opened the door.

"I don't have enough mugs for this," she murmured. She could tell that the men behind Rick were armed and dangerous - perhaps government? The woman wore a red tailored suit and a tight lipped expression that promised she would be the one to talk business. Whoever these people were (apart from Rick), Selina knew immediately she wanted nothing to do with them. "Well, it's been lovely talking with you all -" And with that, the almost naked woman made to slam the door in Rick's face, before a hand shot out to prevent it from being fully shut. "What the -"

The front door was near enough kicked in and Selina darted backwards as strong hands grabbed the tops of her arms and hauled her to one of the sofas in the lounge part of the apartment. Annoyed at the intrusion, Rufus hissed as his mistress was made to sit too close to him. Whilst two of the suited men held her down, Selina's glare jumped between the three other suited men, the silent woman and her (now former) friend.

"Selina," Rick began. "I'm so sorry. I -"

"Oh, save it, Ricky," she spat venomously. Selina turned her gaze towards the woman. "And who are you? What makes you think that you have the right to barge into my home?" she snapped. "Do you even know who I -"

"I advise you keep your mouth shut for now, Miss Kyle," the other woman quietly began, taking a seat on the other couch, making herself comfortable. She demanded a quiet authority and it was obvious she knew exactly what she was doing. "My name is Amanda Waller and I am in need of your help." When the brunette went to open her mouth in protest, one of the burly guys in suits tightened his grip on her arm. Scowling at her captors, she began to struggle. The other woman, Amanda, raised one hand, causing the men released their grips. Remaining silent, Selina redirected her attention to the suited woman. "I am very much aware of who and what you are Miss Kyle. I am in particular need of your skill set and connections."

"Honestly, Ms Waller, I think you have the wrong person. I'm just an honest -" Before Selina could finish her sentence in her sweetest, nicest tone, a heavy binder of documents went slamming down onto the wooden coffee table, making Rufus run away with wide eyes and an angry twitching of his tail.

Trying not to display how nervous she was, Selina reached out her perfectly manicured hands to take the blue binder. Flicking open the first page, she felt her heart leap up to her throat and her mouth fell open. There, attached to a file with her name on it was a photo of her as the -

"Catwoman," Amanda Waller deadpanned. "Jewel thief, vigilante, and aide of Gotham's very own Batman and Robin." The mention of those two names couldn't help but bring tears to Selina's now owlish blue eyes. "If the Gotham police had their way they would have arrested you by now for many counts of theft, maybe the odd murder and many more crimes. Shall I carry on?"

The slowly growing smug grin on Amanda Waller's face made Selina absolutely furious. If she had her whip and claws on her, that smile would have been smacked right off of her face. "What do you want?" she ground out, hands balling into fists. She watched as the newcomer got to her feet and admired a ruby placed on a high shelf in the room. "You're aware that I'm retired, no? I have no desire to return to that life… to be her again." Even Rick winced at the way that his friend referred to her alter-ego as the leather-donned crime fighter.

"We are aware of that, and the circumstances of your retirement," Amanda Waller assured her in that blunt tone. "And how is that retirement treating you? Do you think this is what Mr Todd would have wanted?"

As soon as the name had left the woman's mouth, Selina was on her feet, one hand wrapped around the woman's throat (the other sustaining a death grip on the towel still covering her) and she could feel the steel pressed into the back of her head. Panting hard, vision blurry, Selina hissed out, "If you have the nerve to say that name again I won't hesitate from ripping your throat out." Part of her berated herself for allowing herself to show her cards so easily. It was obvious though that Waller was already aware of her past and everything about her. Releasing her grip, the former Catwoman felt the gun leave her head and heard the others being lowered. Returning to her previous seat, she crossed her arms and legs and glowered at Rick. "So you didn't answer my previous question. What the hell do you want with me?"

Slowly removing her suit jacket, Amanda sat down again and indicated to the binder that had gone sliding across the table in the fit of rage the former Catwoman had demonstrated. Selina reached for it and examined her file closely. There was all of her personal information on it, including the addresses of her closest family and friends. There was also a list of her crimes as the Catwoman, and sat next to it was a much smaller list of all of the good she had done. Clipped under the photo of her in her former suit were photos of her from a few years prior stood next to the man she had once been engaged to - Jason Todd. There was an archived photo of her and Rick doing track at high school, wide smiles on their faces. Somehow they'd even taken a photo of her with Bruce Wayne at a function she had attended with him… a function which had been rudely interrupted by the Penguin himself. It was at that same function that the Batman and Catwoman of Gotham had taken him down once and for all.

Surprised at all of the information that Amanda Waller had gathered, she looked up at the woman who firmly held her gaze. "We're assembling a task force that can be called upon when government forces aren't enough. I'm more than certain that you are aware of the Batman's involvement with Superman several months ago?" Selina nodded. "Who's to say that more of his kind won't come? We need a team that are willing to walk into the jaws of death to stop these super humans." Selina licked her lips and went to turn the next page of the binder, however Amanda's voice stopped her. "A suicide squad of sorts… And I'm confident that you'll be familiar with some of the characters."

"A suicide squad?"

"Yes."

"And what makes you think I'd want to have any part in being a member of that exclusive club?"

"You won't be," Amanda cut in, looking at Rick who was stood behind her. "I want you and Flag to guide them."

That certainly piqued Selina's interest. "Really, Rick? You want to be part of another suicide mission?" Her friend swallowed thickly and his head dipped. And then it clicked in her mind. Amanda Waller wasn't giving either of them a choice. "And what happens if we don't want to play ball?"

The woman smiled at that and took the gun that Selina had grabbed when she heard the crash made by Rufus not minutes ago. Amanda examined it before pointing it casually in the Catwoman's direction. "You've seen what information we have on you, Miss Kyle. There's plenty we can take away from you. Information about people you care about that could be… passed on to certain parties."

Gritting her teeth behind her sweetest smile, Selina slowly nodded. "I see how things have to be, Ms Waller." The gun lowered and was placed back on the sofa. "So, this task force - who's in it?"

Indicating to the binder, the brunette took the gesture from Amanda an invitation to become acquainted with the files of the team. In each file were photos of the individual as well as their name, next of kin and further details of what they were capable of.

"You may be familiar with the name of the first recruit: Floyd Lawton, calls himself Deadshot. Elite hitman who supposedly doesn't miss a single shot," Amanda began, eyes trained on Selina. The Catwoman nodded, remembering Bruce informing her over a year ago that he needed her help to corner the assassin. She, of course, declined. It was around year before that that Jason had been killed. She'd received news from Alfred four days later that Bruce had managed to track down and apprehend the hitman with very little fuss. "You're aware of the situation with his daughter, I presume?" She nodded. "Like I said, Miss Kyle, we have leverage over all of you."

Looking at the mugshot of the African American man, followed by a school ID photo of a young honours student that had to be his daughter who was smiling widely at the camera. Feeling somewhat sorry for the mercenary, the brunette bit her lower lip before moving onto the next profile provided for her.

She was slightly taken aback by the appearance of the second member of the team. He was a Mexican looking gangster whose face was covered in tattoos. His shaved head made him look hard and cold, and yet his dark eyes held a haunted look - a look that Selina and seen in Rick's eyes when he returned from his first tour abroad. "Chato Santana, known on the streets as El Diablo. He's locked up for being an infamous gang leader… and for the murder of his wife and children." Selina was taken aback as she scoured the file of the man, stating that he was a pyrokinetic meta-human who used his powers ruthlessly and he was a man not to be messed with. Out of him and Deadshot, she'd rather take her chances with the mercenary as the meta-human seemed like a man she was going to be avoiding.

"He's one to keep an eye on then?" Selina asked slowly, raising an eyebrow.

"They all are, Miss Kyle." And so she turned to the next profile and was taken aback. "Waylon Jones, also known as Killer Croc." An angry, hulking reptilian shape glared savagely out towards the former jewel thief, making her extremely nervous. "This may also be a name you're familiar with."

"I am. I couldn't believe that Br- I mean the Batman was able to chase him out of Gotham. I had my fair share of encounters with Croc." She winced at her almost rookie-like slip up, nearly revealing the identity of the Batman. "And you accosted him how? How many men did you lose in doing so?"

"Too many men. Good men," Rick supplied suddenly. Selina looked surprised up at him and his chocolate coloured eyes promised that he would tell her the full story later. "But we caught him trying to hide in a nearby National Park."

"Good job, Ricky," Selina said, giving him a quick, small smile which was returned. Amanda cleared her throat and the friends were brought back to reality as the former indicated that Selina should read the next file.

"Batman's recent associate, an Amazonian warrior, was able to corner and bring in the assassin, Christopher Weiss, known to us as Slipknot. He's known for seriously overcharging his customers, but boasts the ability to climb anything using a grapple gun and ropes that are harnessed to him," she detailed as the brunette snorted at the assassin's attempt at a serious mugshot. "This one has a particularly… bad attitude. Of course, they all have their own issues and quirks, but this one is just annoying. I spoke with him when he was first brought to the federal prison he's holed up in now and I was disappointed to say the least."

"I'll be sure to keep an eye on him too then," Selina reassured her and Amanda could only return her attention to the binder, gesturing once again for her to turn the page.

The following page held photos of a man with a cocksure smile that in some photos had a gold front tooth. He was undeniably an attractive man, but he was certainly in the binder for a reason. Selina tucked a brown curl behind one ear as she looked up at Amanda for further information. "George 'Digger' Harkness, known as Captain Boomerang." At the mention of his name, both Selina and Rick locked eyes and smirked, a small snort escaping from the former's lips. "Responsible for a reported 98 counts of bank robberies in Australia before coming here to the States. Weapons of choice are modified boomerangs in various ways. You name it: explosives, camera based ones, ones able to decapitate instantly." Selina raised an eyebrow, somewhat impressed by the man's abilities and arsenal.

"Captain Boomerang? Did I hear that right?" she asked, mirth in her tone.

Ignoring her comment, Waller continued. "Harkness was apprehended by a meta-human known as 'the Flash' in Central City, I believe you have connections there, Miss Kyle." Again, Selina nodded. "I've arranged for you to be the one to explain this task force to him, and oversee his transfer to Belle Reve. Currently he is being held in Iron Heights prison after escaping on a parole visit. All of the information is in the documents we've given you."

Selina thumbed through the photos of the man one more time and couldn't help but notice the almost manic glint in the self proclaimed Captain Boomerang.

When Selina turned to the next file, she felt physically sick and her blue eyes went wide. "No," was the only word she could muster as she stared at the photo in front of her.

"Harleen Quinzel, now known as Harley Quinn. Accomplice and girlfriend of the Joker," Waller said in that deadpan Selina was getting annoyed rapidly with. "Apprehended by yourself and the Batman two years ago after the death of the Robin." Waller could probably see how mad she was, but Selina was past the point of caring. "I understand that -"

"You don't understand."

"I do, Miss Kyle," Amanda cut in, eyes boring into hers. "And if you make any move on Quinn that is unauthorised we will be forced to take you down."

"And if she makes a move on me? I'm not exactly her best friend."

Even Rick couldn't help but smirk at his friend's comment. Amanda sighed. "She'll be put down. All of the task force members are to be fitted with specialist devices that can be activated if they try to escape or do something we don't want them to. They make a move, we put them down."

"We?" Selina repeated, arching a delicate eyebrow.

"Myself and Flag are the only ones who can detonate the devices," the other woman confirmed. "Yourself, Flag and another of our associates aiding the team will not have these devices as we expect your full co-operation. We do have your full co-operation… don't we, Miss Kyle?"  
For a moment, all the Catwoman could do was hold the photographic gaze of the former clown Queen of Gotham. Her mismatched hair was in loose pigtails and makeup ran down her gaunt face, gaze dead and defeated. Selina knew that the photo had been taken on the night that she and Bruce had taken Harley to Arkham Asylum. Whilst she may not be able to make the 'Clown Queen' pay for Jason's untimely death immediately, she was willing to bide her time and make her life as hellish as possible.

"You have my co-operation."

"Excellent." The woman got to her feet and the men in suits moved closer to their leader, Rick standing slightly further away than all of them. "There's a plane that will take you to Central City tomorrow at midday. I would suggest, Miss Kyle, that you pick up some of your old equipment, just in case." Selina gulped and nodded, getting to her bare feet. Holding her white fluffy towel with one hand, she outstretched the other to Amanda.

The two women shook hands briefly before the older of the two turned on her heel and made her way out of the apartment followed by her suited henchmen. She'd left the door open and the odd group waited outside in the landing for Rick, who was moving around the sofa to his old friend.

"Selina. I'm so sorry. I -"

"It's okay, Rick," Selina smiled slightly, sighing and running her free hand through her drying curls. "There was only so long I could hide from what I was and did, I suppose." She dropped her gaze and bit her lip. "Ricky, I -"

"Flag," Amanda Waller barked suddenly. Both friends jumped at her harsh tone, like small children that had been scolded for being caught with a hand in the cookie jar. "We need to go."

Rick shut his eyes and took a deep breath. "On my way, boss."

His dark eyes opened and a genuine smile appeared on his face as his eyes met Selina's. He immediately took two steps closing the gap between them and pulled her into a tight hug which took her slightly by surprise. She could feel the taught muscles under his casual shirt and she grabbed with her right hand, feeling how tense he was. She couldn't help but remember one night when he'd asked to meet her at an old abandoned house they used to hide out in when they were teenagers, dripping from the thunderstorm he'd been caught in. He'd only been back from service for three days and that was the first time she'd seen the haunted look in his eyes… a look he first saw in her two years ago. Selina inhaled slightly, now worried and feeling emotional, however, he pulled away and she forced a confident smile onto her face.

"I'll see you soon."

Rick smiled. "I'll phone you tomorrow before you leave to meet the Captain."

The pair chuckled before Flag's eyes dropped to the floor and he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before he turned on his heel and marched out into the landing and closed her front door leaving her alone. Tightening her grip on the towel, her free hand brushed against the spot that Rick had kissed moments before.

Gritting her teeth, she marched across the room to grab her phone and the binder.

She had research and work to do.

 **-x-**

 **A/N: You made it to the end of the chapter! If you liked this and want to see some more then I'd highly suggest leaving a review, favouriting, following and whatnot! It really does motivate me to write more. So, if you want to find out more about Selina's past with Batman, Robin and Rick Flag and how she'll be interacting with the squad (particularly everyone's favourite Aussie), stay tuned and don't forget to review! :3**


	2. II Killer Queen

**A/N** : Thanks to everyone of you who reviewed, favourited and followed the story - every alert I received put a huge smile on my face. They also helped get this chapter out far sooner than I had anticipated. When it comes to juggling the need to write constantly and studying for finals it is certainly a challenge so you guys will have to bear with me :') But for now here's the next chapter - hope you all enjoy it!

 **Disclaimer** : Check the previous chapter for the disclaimer!

 **Beware The Claws That Catch**

 **Chapter II - Killer Queen**

 **"She's a Killer Queen _/ Gunpowder, gelatine / Dynamite with a laser beam / Guaranteed to blow your mind/ Anytime._** **" - Queen**

 **-x-**

Kicking the stand on her bike down, Selina stepped away from her black Kawasaki Ninja 300 and shook her hair free of its tight ponytail. Helmet tucked under one arm the woman jogged up the front steps of Wayne mansion… a place she hadn't been to for nearly two years. Whilst it may have been acceptable for her to use her old entrance and enter the house from the old 'Bat-cave', she rang the doorbell and waited patiently.

Lo and behold a minute later the heavy front door opened and she shook her brunette waves one last time before walking inside the mansion with her old confidence. The place was as dark as ever, light barely spilling inside from the heavy curtains. Unusually the huge fireplace was lit and merrily crackling away. Immediately Selina fell into her old habits, wiping her slightly muddy combat boots on the entrance mat, she shrugged off her leather jacket and tossed it at the nearest chair before settling into another.

"Selina, nice to see you too," Alfred Pennyworth quipped almost playfully. "I'm very well thank you."

The brunette chewed her minty gum thoughtfully as she watched the butler head towards the low table near the fireplace and begin to pour two mugs of tea. She had seen Alfred five months ago whilst she had been out early one morning and they had exchanged few words before the former Catwoman insisted she had to continue with her jog.

Smiling easily, she met his friendly, yet sceptical gaze. "Alfred, we both know I'm not here on a social call -"

"And you're certainly not here to see Master Wayne," he interrupted, passing her the mug of tea which she gratefully sipped at. "I know you Selina."

"Bruce wouldn't understand what I need," she retorted, slightly annoyed. "I need my old gear back Alfred… and I need you to give it to me."

That comment made the butler chuckle. "Is that all?"

"Well, we can have a tea party if you want, all you had to do was ask." Alfred nearly choked on his cup of tea as he began to laugh as Selina smiled contentedly. "Seriously how are you though? How's the big bad Bat and the wonderful Mr Grayson?"

The butler wiped at his mouth with a napkin before shrugging. "I'm not doing too badly, keeping busy whilst Master Wayne is away. He's dealing with some business with a new associate who works by the coast. Mr Grayson though has been operating in Blüdhaven for a few weeks now and decided to keep the Nightwing name," Alfred informed the woman. "Things aren't quite the same since you left us, Selina. Bruce is… he seems more distant." Selina ducked her head and quietly sipped her cup of tea, trying to mask her uncomfortableness. Alfred knew that they were both reliving the morning after Jason's death and knew it would be best to get down to business as soon as possible. "Shall we gather your equipment then?"

The pair got to their feet and Selina focused her gaze on the back of the butler's head as he guided her through the once familiar mansion. They entered Bruce's office and Alfred typed some commands into an open laptop on the desk before one of the bookcases slid smoothly open revealing a dimly lit hole. Heading through the secret entrance, Alfred guided Selina down the metallic stairs which made memories rush through Selina's mind. The 'Bat-cave' was mostly unchanged. Apart from the workbenches looking much messier and some new instalments of equipment it was just like coming home. Same old mini waterfall, same glass boxes holding the costumes of the crime fighters, same dark decor typical of the Batman.

Despite her conscious effort not to, Selina's eyes immediately flew to the closest glass container to her and a lump grew in her throat. There was _his_ costume. The usual light that would have come on and illuminated the costume was off, making the usually bright colours seem dull and lifeless. The only colour that stood out prominently was the neon yellow paint scrawled across the Robin costume's chest that Jason once wore, reading: ' _HA HA HA Joke's on you Batman!_ ' Gritting her teeth, Selina stalked over to another dark case and pressed a button on the side, illuminating a dark catsuit.

And with that single press of a button, the memories came flooding back, almost like a tidal wave.

 _"Who the hell are you?"_

 _"I'm Robin and he's the Batman."_

 _"Shit!"_

 _"Selina, watch it!"_

 _"Honestly you two…"_

 _"Fuck off Grayson, I saw her first."_

 _"Wanna get out of here, Jason?"_

 _"You call that a pull-up Bruce?"_

 _"Alfred, pass Selina her nail file, would you?"_

 _"I love you, Jason."_

 _"Will you do me the honour of marrying me Selina Kyle?"_

 _"Selina… it's Jason… the Joker has him…"_

"Selina?" Alfred stepped up and placed a hand on her shoulder. Surprisingly she didn't push him away, instead choosing to hang her head defeatedly. Focusing on breathing normally, the former jewel thief allowed herself to be guided into the chair often favoured by Bruce. "Allow me."

"Thanks," the brunette barely mustered and watched as the older man grabbed a black duffle bag with the Wayne logo on it and began to fold up her suit and equipment from the glass case she couldn't look at.

"I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of altering your suit a little bit. Let's just say I had a feeling you would need it one day in the future. Nothing major, just reinforcing a few bits, added a few enhancements tech-wise," he began to explain. "I also had your claws and gun upgraded as well," he grinned up at her in an all too familiar way. "Wouldn't want any repeats of the early days where you left a claw or two in a man's arm."

They both laughed quietly as he continued to pack the bag. "Alfred," Selina began before biting her lip in thought. The butler got to his feet and offered the duffle bag to the former Catwoman. She took it, also standing before pulling the older man into a tight hug. "Thank you for everything you've done. I'm sorry for not being here when you guys have needed me."

The way she was talking had Alfred worried. "Selina, why do you need your things?" She didn't respond. Instead, she pulled back from the hug with a sad smile on her face and watery eyes - it was as though she would never see him again in her life.

"Tell Dick I dropped by next time you see him," she managed to choke out, eyes shining more than before as the tears that had built up threatened to spill. "And tell Bruce…" she paused and swallowed thickly, taking a moment. "Tell him I'm sorry too. And tell him I don't blame him anymore."

And with that, Selina marched out of the Bat-cave. Alfred stood, still surprised at her fleeting visit as a wave of dread passed and the reality dawned on him that he may not see her again.

 **-x-**

"Holy shit!" Selina swore as the turbulence of the plane made her nails dig into the armrests of her seat. After her brief visit to Wayne mansion, she'd immediately driven to an abandoned airfield just outside of Gotham where Waller's people had been waiting for her. She'd been ushered onto the plane, motorbike left behind in the air hangar they'd departed from, and they left the ground within mere minutes of her arrival. She'd been given a briefing by some of Waller's agents who informed her of the situation regarding Captain Boomerang: he'd fled his handler whilst on compassionate leave from prison and had been apprehended trying to get to Star City. The plane was to arrive not far from Iron Heights Prison where he was being temporarily held until Selina arrived to extract him for Task Force X.

The turbulence passed quickly as the plane began its descent into the city and Selina was informed that they would be expecting her to go immediately to the prison. With that, the brunette grabbed the black duffle bag and headed to the cramped bathroom in the back of the private plane and began to change into her Catwoman attire. The bag held her black catsuit, her old mask, a pair of black combat boots, a silver 9mm Heckler and Koch USP handgun with ammunition and her whip. Shedding her worn blue jeans, simple white tee and black leather jacket, Selina began to shimmy into her catsuit and found the fit to be close to her former glory days. Grabbing the zipper, she pulled it up her back before fixing her utility belt around her waist and attaching the gun holster to it. The suit was more padded (bulletproof she hypothesised, though she wasn't too keen to find out) and seemed more military-styled than before. Holding onto her old mask, she grabbed the rest of her equipment and returned to the main cabin.

Resuming her previous seat, she slid her boots on and loaded her handgun up, noting that Alfred had also packed a small scope she could quickly attach to the top of her weapon. Next, she inspected her whip which she had gotten hold of when she had first started her jewel thieving. Placing her weapons on their designated places, her next task was to inspect her claws. Her catsuit covered her from neck to ankles, covering her hands and fingers, allowing no chance of fingerprints being left behind. With a flick of one wrist, extensions appeared where her nails should be. Silver coloured cat-style claws shone in the dim light of the plane cabin and Selina inspected them closely. She wasn't sure what the new metal was, but knowing Alfred it was much more durable compared to what she used in the earlier days of her career. They also seemed to retract and reappear much easier.

All in all she was impressed with the changes that had been made to her suit and equipment. She'd have to send Alfred a text or email when she got a chance to thank him.

"Miss Kyle," one of Waller's people from ARGUS appeared in the aisle, getting the Catwoman's attention. "We'll be landing in ten minutes. We're about to begin to descend now so I'd suggest you put your seatbelt on."

"Right, thanks," she mumbled, clipping the belt before grabbing her phone and holding it tightly in one hand as the plane began to circle the airfield they were planning to land in.

Ten minutes later, Selina made her way down the steps and allowed herself to be guided to a black saloon car. Climbing into the backseat with a black jacket draped over one arm and a backpack slung over one shoulder, she got comfortable as the driver immediately put his foot down and began to drive her to Iron Heights prison. Selina re-occupied herself by skimming Captain Boomerang's file one last time.

The man had been raised in poverty in the Australian town of Kurrumburra, somewhere that Selina had never heard of. Waller's research showed that he was the illegitimate child of an Australian woman and a high-up American toy manufacturer with a name that the brunette vaguely recognised. Boomerang and a partner had been in the States for no more than two months, having committed a string of jewellery heists before being caught by a meta-human known as the Flash. It wasn't yet clear to ARGUS why he'd come over from Australia, but Selina was curious as to why, and so was determined to find out.

As they passed through part of the city, she tucked the file back into her backpack and sent a text to Rick informing him that she was on her way to pick up Boomerang. Within another half an hour, the driver pulled up outside a looming dark grey building behind tall walls and rings of barbed wire as drizzle began to tap against the exterior of the dark car.

"Here we are, Miss Kyle," the ARGUS driver informed her. She nodded, taking the umbrella that he offered to her before stepping out of the vehicle.

 **-x-**

"Hands out, Harkness!" a voice barked as Digger Harkness shoved his arms through the opening flap on his cell. The cold snap of metal around his already chaffed wrists made him wince slightly. When he withdrew his hands, he glowered at the shiny restraints. This was it. He was going to be shipped off to some other prison - this place was only temporary. And this was how the criminal justice system worked. Cons were constantly swapped around and dotted in prisons all over the country, just cause the higher up officials felt like it.

"For fuck's sake," he mumbled to himself as the buzzer sounded and the heavy door slowly opened. "C'mon, mate, there's no need for these," Digger assured the armed guard that was waiting for him on the other side, holding up his cuffed arms. "I'm more than happy to play nice."

"Keep walking, con," the guard ordered, nudging him in the right direction.

Grumbling under his breath, Digger began his stroll down the long line of cells, many of which screaming and crazed shouting sounded from. This place was an absolute whack-shack. As Digger made his way through several gates, he bumped into another prisoner being escorted in a similar direction to him - visitation, Digger hypothesised.

Another guard stepped up and looked down at his clipboard. "So we've got Allen for visitation with his son, and Harkness for his meeting with his attorney." The clipboard favouring guard nodded and the two prisoners and accompanying guards were buzzed through the gate before going their separate ways. Digger was guided down a secluded looking hallway before he and the guard stopped outside what was labelled as an interrogation room.

"Play nice, con," the uniformed man instructed before unlocking the door and letting the Australian in.

What Digger wasn't expecting when he walked in was a relatively attractive woman leaning against the far wall. His stormy grey eyes immediately scanned over her, taking in the sight before him. She couldn't have been a few inches shorter than him, and she looked quite athletic. Her brunette hair fell in waves, framing her face and falling down, covering part of the one-piece black catsuit she wore. She had a cocksure smile on her face and her blue eyes gleamed. She gestured with one hand and Digger was ushered into one of the two chairs positioned by the table that sat in the middle of the interrogation room. And with that the guard left the room, leaving the pair alone.

There was silence for a brief moment before Digger leant back casually in the uncomfortable seat and crossed his ankles and propped them up on the metallic table. He flicked some imaginary lint off of the shoulder of his orange jumpsuit before he stuck his tongue in his cheek and let his eyes roam over the brunette again.

"So…" he began, tilting his head to one side. "You're meant to be my attorney, huh?"

She chuckled, pushing away from the wall and standing behind the other chair in the room. "What do you think, Mr Harkness?" she asked, sarcasm lacing her tone. Her voice was lower than he had expected, more seductive sounding. "Do you think all lawyers dress this way?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, eyes not leaving her as she continued to stand. "So who are you then, if you're not my lawyer getting me outta this shit-hole?"

"My name's Selina Kyle, and I'm here to give you an offer you literally cannot refuse," she began, leaning down into a black backpack to retrieve a chunky looking file with the letters: ARGUS stamped across the front, accompanied by the word: CONFIDENTIAL, in big red letters. "I'm here representing a woman named Amanda Waller."

Digger was intrigued. Now he wasn't expecting this pretty thing to get down to business right away. He sure as hell wasn't expecting her to be someone else's lapdog. He could already tell that this woman thought very highly of herself and wasn't used to being bossed around. He knew, cause he could already see himself in her. When it came to selecting a partner in crime (literally) you had to get good at reading people, and yourself, fast and Digger had only gotten better and better over the years.

"Cut to the chase, sweetheart, I'm a busy man," he prompted, pulling his feet off of the table and giving her one of his winning smiles, gold tooth glinting in the dim light of the room. "Or even better yet, take a seat and let's chat about you bustin' me out of this place."

Selina's smile fell, and she looked slightly pissed off. She stayed standing as she opened the thick file and spun it around before pushing it towards the man. His eyes dragged over a file about him, his past convictions and his old residences, his mother's apartment and much more that made him slightly sick. Whoever this ARGUS was, it was bad news. He had to try and figure a way out of this, and he was sure that the blue eyed woman would be the key.

"There's a task force being assembled as we speak to deal with threats that the government can't handle," Selina began to explain. "Several people have been selected to take part and you're one of the lucky few, Mr Harkness. After the whole Superman fiasco several months ago, there's a lot of people that don't feel safe and you've been chosen as someone to help protect them."

That was it, Digger began to laugh at the mere thought of such a group. "A hero squad?" he wheezed, tossing his head back. "I'm the furthest goddamn thing from a bloody hero, sweetheart. You've clearly got the wrong man. And I don't know how whoever you represent has all this dirt on me but I don't like it. Listen, help me get outta here and I promise we won't have any issues." He smiled winningly at her, hoping he would be able to smooth talk this woman into helping him escape from this prison to finish what he had started. This was no place for him to be.

Selina didn't seem to like that one bit. She gritted her teeth and stepped away from the table. Clearly frustrated, she turned around. "Look, I'm just the messenger. You're going to be part of this suicide squad whether you like it or not. It's that or you'll rot in this place, or somewhere worse, for a very long time. Not to mention these people know all about you. They can hurt you in ways you probably couldn't imagine."

"You're making it sound like I don't have a bloody choice," Digger began.

"You're right. You don't."

Now frustrated, Digger's fists clenched and his smile quickly dissolved into a look of anger. "Now look, I'm not even meant to be in prison -"

"What, you didn't rob every bank in Australia and started thieving jewellery from several cities here in the States? Or was that some other selfish bastard who calls himself Captain Boomerang?"

Digger's chair went skidding backwards against the concrete floor as his eyes narrowed and he growled deeply, cuffed hands slamming down hard onto the table. His hands immediately grabbed the ARGUS file and he shoved it down the length of the table and the loose sheets flew up into the air. Selina barely batted an eyelid at his outburst and instead narrowed her blue eyes and within a second had made her way around the table and grabbed a hand around his thick neck and, with a strength he hadn't been expecting, pushed him back into the wall. Her free wrist flicked outwards and silver claws leapt free before being pressed up against his cheek, making him swear.

"Don't you dare call me selfish," he hissed, causing her to push her claws against his skin ever so slightly harder. "I don't steal for me. You don't know a single bloody thing about me," Digger said, eyes glaring daggers down at the blonde, whose expression was one of anger. "Just reading a file doesn't mean you know me, cat bitch!"

And then suddenly she let go and moved around the table again. "You're right, I don't know you at all. I don't want to know you to be honest," she replied, tone even though Digger could see her eyes held her rage. "All I know is that you're being transferred to Belle Reve Penitentiary and I'll be overseeing your transfer back there tonight. You're being moved there so that you can be dragged out to save the world easier. The more missions you carry out, the more time will be shaved off of your conviction time. I suggest you play along before these people hurt someone you care about."

After she'd finished her small speech, she knocked on the door and a guard opened the door. "Yes?"

"Get him and his stuff and bring him to the car out the front," she instructed, handing him a letter from Waller. "I'll be waiting."

 **-x-**

Just under an hour after meeting Digger Harkness, Selina found herself watching as he shuffled out of the main gates of Iron Heights and pushed hastily into the dark saloon car she had arrived in. He'd been changed into dark green cargo pants, combat boots, a grey tank top and similar coloured hoodie. The handcuffs had stayed on, and a connecting chain was linked to cuffs around his ankles, clinking loudly with every step and shift in movement he made. A large backpack and case full of various boomerangs and tech had been shoved into the boot next to Selina's equipment and they were ready to leave.

Thanking the guards for helping her out, she slid into the passenger seat and once again they were on the move.

Digger tried to chat to her in the back, calling her sweetheart every now and then. She was slowly getting irritated with the suave and charming front the thief seemed to favour and decided merely to humour him with simple, limited answers.

"So, sweetheart, what have they got hanging over you to make you their pet?" he asked.

"Stuff."

"Enlightening," he laughed, running his tongue over his teeth. "Don't tell me, they said they'd kill all of your kitties?"

"Something like that."

"Boyfriend? Or girlfriend - I don't judge."

"Neither."

He scoffed. "Well, you're just a bundle of fun aren't you?"

"Yup," she replied, popping the 'p'.

Silence fell over the car. The journey continued and as they passed through the city Digger seemed to be get more and more agitated. Eventually Selina spun around in her seat to look back at the Aussie and gave a smile and her voice dipped into a sultry tone she hadn't used since the last time she had donned the catsuit she was once again wearing.

"Look, things are going to go a lot smoother if you just play along with this. I'm pretty sure Waller will let you request a comfy cell too between mission," she began. His eyes grew wide and she grinned in a way she'd long forgotten. It was so easy to slip back into the skin of the Catwoman. "Who knows, maybe we can really make it worth your -"

"Get down!" he suddenly yelled, his eyes suddenly alive with terror as he dove down onto the backseat.

Selina whipped around in the seat, hand automatically going to grab her gun as the driver managed to skid the car to a halt in front of two men wielding huge guns. They were stood in the middle of the road and on either side of the street, flames licked at the buildings and screaming could be faintly heard in the distance. Clicking the safety off, the brunette waited with baited breath for the men's next move. She could hear Digger swear behind her, when suddenly the older looking man marched over to the driver's side of the car and wrenched the door open and dragged the poor driver out who kicked and screamed in protest.

Instincts kicking into action, Selina raised her gun and pointed it in his direction. "Hey! Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough!" she screamed. She went to scramble towards the driver's side of the car when all of a sudden the glass of her window was smashed inwards, diverting her attention.

Before she could properly react to what had happened, a leather covered hand grabbed a fistful of hair and held tight before swinging her head back and then forwards abruptly against the dashboard of the car. The last things she heard was the increasing volume of the fire and a shout from Digger before everything was quiet and a void of black.

 **-x-**

 **A/N** : I wonder who the newcomers could be? I'd love to hear your guys' thoughts on who the mystery men are, and what you thought of the chapter. Until the next time, don't forget to review, favourite and follow! :3


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